What if things were different?
by Kiyoshi Minase
Summary: What is Sirius Black escaped Azkaban earlier? What would Remus do? Will be Sirius X Remus later on. AU. Characters may be out of character at first. Rated for later.
1. Sunshine

Remus walked down the street. He was having a bad day. Six interviews. Six. All turned down. The spoken reasons varied. Some said he was too young for the job, others that he wasn't qualified. Some just smiled and shook their heads no. He thanked them for their time and left. There wasn't much more he could do. He could get angry, yes, but what would that prove?

He sighed and sat down on a nearby bench. It was a nice day out. He loved the sun. Remus loved to stare straight into it, usually using a simple charm to make this a safe hobby. He would go home tonight, again disappointing his parents. He still lived with them and, though they made no demands on him, he felt bad for taking their resources. They were poor enough as it were. His mother, Roselin Lupin, was a sweet woman who was trying to talk him into letting them buy him some nice dress robes for interviews. She was thin and light, he'd gotten his hair from her. His father was a strict man who worried about his son. He was tall and broad, but was getting heavier in his older age. Lupin had once had his blue eyes. He was lucky to have them, he knew, but he wanted to be independent. He had tried that once and it hadn't gone over well. He'd spent three weeks sleeping where ever he could find and eventually his mother grabbed him by the hair and drug him home. It hadn't been that bad, since he'd smartly chosen summer time and left immediately after the full moon. He had a good head on his shoulders.

His charm was wearing off and the sun got brighter and brighter as he stared. He looked away and rubbed his eyes with one hand. He supposed now was as good of a time as any to go home. He had no reason to stay here. Diagon Alley was nice and all if you had money. Really though, there was no reason to stay otherwise. He went back through the Leaky Cauldron and apparated home. He landed about a quarter mile from his home, unable to apparate any closer due to the charms they used to keep him in during the full moon. He walked, taking off his robe halfway through the walk and enjoying the sun on his scarred back.

He ran a hand through his hair and walked slowly. He could see the house from where he was. His mother came out minutes and waved to him, yelling something. He was too far away to hear. He waved back anyways, not as enthusiastically though. His mother was always glad to see him. He sped up to a jog, shirt in hand, and made it there rather quickly. Remus was fit. It was probably the only benefit of being a werewolf. He stayed in shape with very little effort. He remembered James complaining at him over it. How Lupin stayed all covered up and didn't work out, while James had to work for hours to keep a good enough shape that his broom wouldn't collapse under him during Quidditch. It had been an exaggeration, of course, as they had both witnessed his great aunt ride a broom. That woman was massive.

His mother hugged him quickly when he arrived and then jumped away.

"Dear, go take a shower. You're all sweaty" She said in a motherly tone. Remus chuckled but went to do so, or else. He went to his room, where he had a private bath, and turned the shower on. Since he'd taken one that morning it was really more a rinse off. He was out and dried himself with a thin towel and redressed. He put on some light muggle clothing. He would go work in the garden and his muggle clothing was used less than his wizard clothing.

Remus joined his mother in the kitchen. She didn't ask how the job hunt had gone. She knew. "I'll be working in the garden." he said as he exited through the back door. He enjoyed garden work. He wasn't good with weeding charms, as he had managed to uproot every single one of his mother's baby mandrakes last year. He had been knocked out. She had gotten some ear muffs and replanted them. The plants had not made it. She had been rather angry at him for that. He had resolved to do any weeding by hand from then on. He looked up and down the rows. He had done this a few days ago and only a few tiny green leaves popped out. He was catching them before they got large enough to be a problem. After going through their large garden and picking a few ripe tomatoes, he went inside. There was nothing more to do. He sat down and put the tomatoes on the table. They grew a lot of fresh vegetables, as they couldn't afford to buy a lot.

"An owl came while you were outside." Roselin said, handing him the letter. It was from the Ministry. Remus frowned. It was probably a new regulation of werewolves he'd have to comply with. He did as he was told, even though it took time and usually money. He opened it up.

"Mr. Remus Lupin:

After having gone over the estate of Lily and James Potter. We have decided, in accordance with their wishes, that two thousand galleons, sixteen sickles and twelve knuts, one-tenth of the estate's total worth, will be transferred to your Gringotts account. "

There was more, but Lupin couldn't read it. This had been the last thing he'd expected. He wanted to cry right then. It had been six months since Lily and James had been killed. Since Sirius had been imprisoned. He had just gotten to the point where he could think about them without feeling unbearable sadness. He was alone, save his mother and father. Only a few people had ever accepted him. Over half of those people were dead now.

"What is it dear?" his mother asked, patting him lightly on the back.

"Lily and James... They left me something in their will." he said. he sat the letter down and rubbed his face. It kept him from outright crying.

His mother was lost for words. She just sat by him a few minutes. "They were really good people. Both of them." she finally said. They sat in silence a while longer. She eventually had to stand though, since she had been cooking. She was a muggle. So she did everything muggle style. They didn't have electricity, instead she made her husband use ever burning candles for her. Everything was enchanted for her convenience. She still preferred to cook all on her own. Lupin finally picked up the note again and read it. He sighed. He couldn't believe it.

"I am going upstairs, mother." he said. Standing up and kissing her on the forehead before heading to his room. He went through a small book he had containing their pictures. He even had one of Harry riding his tiny toy broom. Sirius Black had gotten that for him. First thing the child had done was crash full speed into something. He smiled faintly as he remembered James trying to quiet Harry before Lily heard and decided the toy broom was too dangerous.

He'd made it twice through the small picture book before he heard his mother calling him for dinner. He combed his hair, which was still damp from his bath, and went down. His mother had made a nice meal. Shephard's Pie. He liked his mother's, but refused to eat anyone else's He ate a good sized piece and thanked her. He spent some time reading and thinking about the three men who'd been his closest friends. He went to bed that night, trying to decide how best to use the money.

He'd always refused James' and Sirius' money. They'd tried to help him on numerous occasions. He had decided there was no way he could refuse it now. His plan was to try to use the money as best he could. He would try to fix his parent's house, as it had a few areas that magic could only patch for short periods of time. Perhaps he would try to move into muggle London and get a job there. If he was living with muggles he wouldn't be forced to reveal he was a werewolf on his job application. The prospect of moving was a grim one though. He worried that maybe his mother would need help here. Besides, he'd have to come back for the full moon. It would be difficult at best.

Remus woke the next morning, his eyes not wanting to open Remus liked sleeping and often wished to sleep in. Unfortunately his window faced the rising sun and he was always woken at dawn by it. He had to keep his wand on the other side of the room, because he had a bad habit of charming his window. Then he would sleep until his mother got him up. He got up and stretched, falling back on his bed and hanging his head over the other side. He stayed like this, not wanting to stand. He finally did though. He went down stairs where his mother was making pancakes.

"If I left... would you be alright?" he asked. He knew his father wasn't often around and he didn't quiet understand how a muggle could do all the house work that needed done. He worried.

"Of course I would." she said, smiling earnestly as she put a plate down in front of him. "It's nice having you here of course, but I know you'll move out someday." she added. "All mothers know that."

Remus nodded, poking his pancakes with his fork."Hm. I have errands I will be running today." he commented. His mother didn't ask. "Is dad home?" he asked.

"No. He was kept late." She said. His father often ended up sleeping at work. He worked continually.

Remus finished half his pancakes, as his mother always made too much, and stood. "Alright. I will be going then." he said. He walked outside to the point at which he could apparate. This was always the slow part. He had considered bringing a broom and then shrinking it when he was in town, but didn't. He just never got around to it. Besides... His old broom wasn't much faster than walking. Finally he made it to the edge of the barriers and was out. He apparated to Cornwall. He knew the wizarding part of the village there.

He walked to a small shop called Cat's Eye, which was a muggle shop specializing in expensive jewelry. A few muggles were in here. There was one obvious wizard. He was at least a hundred years old and was wearing bright orange slacks, which his beard was tucked into, and a suit coat. Under the coat was a tye-dye shirt. Remus nodded to the manager and headed into the family bathroom. He stood in front of the toilet and tapped the back six times in a specific rhythm with his wand. The entire toilet slid with the wall and he was able to go to the staircase leading to Vertik Alley. He visited the branch of Gringotts here and withdrew a small portion of the gold he had been given. There was more gold here than he'd even dreamed of. He had in his pockets two hundred galleons, more than he'd even had in his possession ever. He had to tell himself as he put it into his pocket that he was using it in the best way possible and it wasn't given to him so it could just sit in his account.

He stepped outside and took a deep breath. This village was amazing. It was entirely underground. The ceiling looked like a clear sky though. There was even a sun. He watched the clouds a moment and turned his attention to the rest of the town. It was expansive, he knew. There were buildings. The ceiling of the town was low enough that all buildings were two stories high, this left about ten foot before the slab of rock that the sky was painted on. People could fly using that space. After admiring some stuff in the window of a Quidditch shop he headed for the pet shop. He got a lovely, fancy and decorated dog house. It was made for a rather large dog. It would do though. He cast a diminuendo on it to make it small enough to carry around. It had been on sale, only five galleons. He also found a magical doll shop and bought a dress that looked like it would fit a two and a half foot doll. He shrunk that too. He walked down the road, into an alley way and soon found himself in a seedier part of the town.

This area has the same beautiful sky, but the shops had none of the colorful displays. These places had dark windows, usually covered for privacy. He knew exactly where he needed to go. He took a deep, calming breath.


	2. Motty

Remus stood outside the shop. It had dark windows and the sign was nearly falling off. He swallowed and stepped in. As soon as he did, he noticed how clean the place was. There were extremely tiny cages lining the walls. It looked like a pet shop for animal haters. The man behind the counter saw him and yelled. "In formation."

Remus tried not to look startled as about a hundred miserable looking house elves lined up. They all had different rags on and all looked shamed. He knew why. All the house elves here had been given up by their family or freed. They had failed at the one thing they desired to do in life. Even if freed a house elf had a desire to serve. These had probably come here willingly, hoping for a chance to work again. The man behind the counter took them and sold them, making a hefty profit. Remus looked at them, they didn't look at him. They all stood still.

"Hello, sir." the owner said, stepping in front of the line. "Just so you know, the elves are lined up based firstly on why they are here, and then price. This line' he gestured to one line of elves who all looked close to tears. "is for those that were freed. The second line are those whose families died out." It was the shortest line. "And the third are the ones here because someone had too many." he said simply.

Remus nodded. He walked through the lines. Each house elf had a price pinned to their grubby shirts Some of them were as low as ten galleons. That was all well and good, but he was trying to find one he thought wouldn't frighten his mother. He found one. "You. Speak, please." he said, hoping it would listen. It was about two and a half feet tall and had long, thin ears that swept downwards. It was very human looking, compared to some of the others.

"What do you want me to say, sir?" it asked. He had no idea of it's gender, since all house elves had high pitched voices. The bags they wore didn't help.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"Motty, sir." it replied. He looked down the rows. Two more wizards had come in, looking regal and tall. He hated to pick based on appearance, but his mother was muggle. If he got one of the ones who might work better, but was scarier, she might not want him. Most wizards didn't expect their house elves to be attractive, no... Good house elves weren't often seen.

He realized this one was in the line for those who were let go. "Why were you let go?" he asked,. He had to make sure it wasn't because it had refused to work.

"Motty does not make a very good cup of tea, sir." Remus chortled, but stopped when he realized how distraught the elf looked over it. He realized that, though he felt bad for house elves overall, they actually liked doing their job and they liked doing it well.

He went up to the owner and paid for Motty, the owner came by and did something to make Motty's ownership change to Remus. Offering his hand and walking out of the building, Remus apparated away to his home. Disapparating away was allowed It Vertik Alley, though apparating into was not.

He landed near his home. "Are you alright walking?" he asked. "I can't apparate all the way home." he said.

"Motty is alright walking, master." it said, releasing Remus' hand. .

"Alright." he said, and began walking. He stopped about halfway there. "I need to talk to you." Remus said, able to see his house now, but not close enough to be heard. He stepped behind a tree. "I've never owned a house elf before. So I don't know if this is allowed." he reached in his pocket and got the dress out, bringing it to regular size. It looked a bit overly large for Motty, but he could shrink it to be just right.

"My mother is a muggle, you'll be her servant when we get in here. Understand." Motty nodded, it's long ears flapping. Remus almost breathed a sigh of relief. He had know the house elves at Hogwarts served everyone, including muggle-borns. He hadn't been sure if they would just serve muggles though. "Alright. She has never seen a house elf and I want you to look nice." he said. He laid the dress down. He knew he couldn't hand Motty clothing. "I want you to pick that up and put it on." he ordered.

Motty immediately started changing and Remus turned around to give it some privacy. "Tell me when you are done." he mumbled.

It took Motty some time, but eventually he heard a small "done, master" Remus turned back around. Motty was wearing the dress. It was loose enough, It hung down loosely and had no sleeves, so Motty would be given some freedom of movement.

"Good." he said, glad to see it was right side up. He remembered when Sirius had tried to free the house elves of Hogwarts as a prank by ordering them to put clothing on, and it had ended with elves with socks on their ears. They seemed to be bad at wearing normal clothing. They'd also been angry and Sirius had returned to the dorm covered in mashed potatoes. Since this was a dress, one piece only, it had been simple enough. "Alright. You look good...." he sighed. "I order you to keep that clean." he said. He was being very careful about his ordering. "Let's go introduce you to mother."

Motty followed him the rest of the way to the house. He was surprised at how unperturbed she was by the gravel on the road. He hadn't thought to get her shoes. Remus often ended up walking bizarrely when he tried to walk the path barefoot.

He opened the door and let Motty in. "Mother. I am home." he said. He lead Motty to the kitchen.

"Hello dear, how are AGH!" his mother managed. She had been washing some dishes and when she turned around she'd seen the elf. "What is that?" she asked, her voice higher than normal. She should have been used to odd things by now, but she really wasn't.

"This is Motty." he said. "Motty is a house elf. We own her... it. It'll help you around the house and be-"

"Remus John Lupin!" his mother said, looking outraged. "to the living room."

Remus hadn't planned on this. His mother was angry.

Once they got the living room, his mother started. "I cannot believe you. Are you seriously talking about keeping a slave?" she asked, her voice high and loud. It was rare for her to become angry.

"No. Yes. Just. Wait." he managed to get in. His mother quieted for just a moment. "Motty wants to work here. House elves like work. No! Really." he said as Roselin looked ready to leap into another yelling fit. "Really. Go in there and tell her- it you don't want it." he said. 'It'll start to cry. Just give it a chance?" he asked.

Remus' mother looked no more pleased than before, but sighed. "Fine."

She headed back to the kitchen where Motty had started magicking the floor cleaner than it had ever been before. His mother kept it clean, but he hadn't realized the white tile was actually tinted slightly yellow until Motty started scouring it. The difference was at least three shades.

Roselin squatted her small frame down in front of Motty. "Motty, are you a boy or a girl?" she asked, unashamedly.

"Motty is a girl, ma'am." she said. Remus was glad, since he had her in a dress.

"And do you really want to work here?" she asked.

"Yes, Ma'am, Motty is honored that the young master purchased Motty. Motty was disgraced with no place to work." she said, still doing the floor.

"Motty was only a hundred Galleons. I was worried about when I left if you'd be stuck here alone. House elves are very good at magic. They can apparate and disapparate. They can levitate heavy things. It's really simple for them. They are very powerful. Oh yeah." he said, reaching in his pocket and pulling out the miniature dog house. He started to make it grow to a size Motty could comfortably enter and leave. Not large, Motty would only be sleeping there. He sat it in an empty corner and changed the color so it would match the rest of the room.

"Accio pillows" he said, concentrating on the pillows in his room. He had a couple that would make a nice mattress and a small one that would make a nice head pillow. Seeing him make her a comfortable home made Remus' mother happier. Remus summoned a thick blanket as well. "Motty, come here." he said.

Motty walked to him. "Is this comfortable?" he asked. Motty crawled in.

"Wow. Master? Is this really for Motty?" she asked in wonderment. "Motty is very comfortable." she said, exiting within moments of going in. It wasn't time to sleep, so she didn't linger.

"Alright. Well. I have a few more orders for you." he said. "Only I can free you." he said. "Even if my mother gives you clothing you are not free." He knew that was how house elves were free, but hopefully this would prevent that.

"Mother, you aren't supposed to hand clothing to a house elf. If you do you are telling them to leave the house." She nodded.

"Motty cannot be freed by a muggle anyways. Only wizards can free house elves." Motty clarified. This was based on a time so far back no one even remembered. Muggles had been enslaved at one point, along side house elves and clothing was often passed between them.

"Good, good." Remus said. "Well, still listen to my mom other wise. You're here to help her and keep her company." he added. Motty nodded. She was obviously overjoyed at being treated so well.

Remus sat down at the table, his mother following suit. "Won't she get lonely? With no other house elves?" Roselin asked, watching Motty clean. .

"No. You'd have to see it... House elves are like this by nature. Maybe later, you could get her a husband though. I don't know if house elves mate but if you ask her she will have to answer. I've never heard of a house elf lying." he said. He wondered if they could lie to their masters. He wouldn't ask... If she couldn't lie, she wouldn't. If she could she might.

"Alright... And. Do I pay her or something?" his mother asked.

Remus shook his head. "No. House elves hate being paid. They do like praise though. Perhaps you could find something small and worthless she likes though. One of the house elves at Hogwarts collects buttons... If there is something she likes maybe you could sporadically reward her?" he offered. Roselin nodded.

"Thank you, Remmy. You think too much about things. I would have been fine even if you moved out. Did you... did you tell her about you?" his mother asked. Remus shook his head no. "I will. We have two weeks until it will be important." she said.

Remus nodded. "I'd better cook dinner. Your father sent a fast owl ahead saying he'd be home tonight." she stood and headed for the magical fridge. It was charmed to keep each item at it's optimal coolness, unlike muggle coolers.

Motty immediately set about helping. As it turned out she was very good at cooking, despite being hardly tall enough to reach the stove. Roselin chuckled and walked to an old closet. She had a step ladder from when Remus had been a child. "This might help." she offered.

"Oh thank you, ma'am." Motty said, stepping up and getting two feet taller. Together they made a spaghetti dinner in no time. They chatted. Remus just watched, glad they were hitting it off. It turned out that Motty was six years old, fully grown by house elf standards. He knew house elves could live to be older than people could.

Remus realized he'd gotten Motty only to relieve his guilt. It seemed like a good move so far. Dinner finished just in time for Remus' dad to get home. The tall, broad man entered, a smile on his tired face. He was fourty one but looked older. The stress associated with his double jobs and making sure his son was safe had taken it's toll over the years, making Remus feel guilty every time he looked at him. Motty had just started, staying out of sight. She didn't know if he was related to her master, and a good house elf stayed hidden. She'd immediately disillusioned herself.


	3. The 'Black' Stalker

Remus' dad looked around, sniffing the air. "Hm, What have you made this time?" He asked. "It smells wonderful." He said. He put down the bag he was carrying, a frayed canvas bag that had flowers all over it. It had belonged to his mother, so it wasn't to be transfigured to looked more manly. Remus' dad, John Lupin, opened the bag and pulled something out. "Look what I got." he smiled.

He pulled out a box. The box itself was black, the corners had been smashed and no one had bothered to repair them. They had kind of been pushed back into shape though, to accommodate what was inside. He sat it down and opened the lid. It was a Wizard's Chess. Remus loved played, though he never had owned one.

"You didn't have to." he said, thanking him and scolding him simultaneously. There were better things to use the money for. This set seemed to be second hand though, so he figured it hadn't been to expensive.

"Want to play one?" his father asked.

"Well if you're going to play you'd better be quick. Me and Motty made a grand meal. Did you know she can multiply food?" Roselin asked.

John Lupin looked up, "Motty?" He looked to Remus "Who is Motty?"

"Uh, Motty is our new house elf."

Roselin suddenly looked very worried and ran to the small dog house in the corner. It was out of the way enough that John hadn't noticed it. He wasn't the most observant of men anyways. Roselin was bending over and had stuck her head into Motty's house when her skirt was tugged. She turned around, nothing was there.

"Motty has casted a disillusionment charm." They heard a high voice whisper loudly. "So guests cannot see Motty."

Remus smiled. "Well, this is my father. You don't have to hide." Motty came back into view.

"How did we end up with a house elf?" His father asked, looking confused.

"Well. James and Lily wrote a small fortune to me in their will... the official letter said they put it there," he paused to indicate it was a direct quote. "Because he needs it and has always refused to let us help him, the little wereprat." John chuckled. They all knew James, that was something James would have said.

"That doesn't explain why you picked a house elf." His father prodded.

"Well. I am going to move out. I didn't even skim the amount they left. Really, they did too much." He added. "I should have enough to have some of it changed to muggle money, and I will get a job in Muggle London. Muggles don't have a law about lycanthropy there... So I shouldn't have near as hard a time finding a job. I still have the diploma that Hogwarts gives us." he said.

Hogwarts sent out a muggle like diploma in case anyone needed it in the muggle world. Some people got muggle jobs voluntarily, to expand on muggle studies. Others had muggle relatives and used it to protect the magical world. The grades on the transcript were based solely on their actual grades. Fortunately, Remus had been a very good student. He wondered if he could take Dumbledore up on his offer. He really didn't have anyone he knew who could write a recommendation. He would asked. Dumbledore was very sympathetic. He had offered to help Remus find a job in any way he could. Remus had been reluctant to take Dumbledore's time, but things were less busy now for the man. What with Voldemort gone and all.

"Alright, if you two aren't going to play we are going to eat now." She said, putting four plates down on the table. She was setting a place for Motty as well. Remus said nothing. His father didn't either. Neither had ever owned a house elf before, so there were things that were a mystery to him. Remus only had experience with the Hogwarts elves, and that only extended so far.

Roselin started serving the plates up as John and Remus waited. She loved cooking and serving meals. She was actually a very good cook. Motty had helped her get things, multiplying the actual amount of food or apparating to the woods to find fresh mushrooms or spices. Motty turned out to be a very good helper.

After food was served, Motty went to her house, still in awe of having her own space.

Roselin didn't like this though. "Motty, aren't you going to eat?" she asked.

Motty looked startled. 'House elves do not eat with their masters." she stated, it was just a fact.

"Well. I served you up some."

"Oh! Motty couldn't."

Roselin stood with Motty's plate. It wasn't as full as everyone else's because Motty was so much smaller. She brought it to her. "Well why don't you eat in your house then?" she offered.

'Really?!" Motty said, excitedly. Roselin just nodded and went back to the table.

Motty could be heard eating, she was rather loud. That was probably why House elves didn't eat with the family. Everyone ignored it.

The meal went well, everyone talked a bit, John spoke about work just a little. He had boring jobs. Still, they payed well enough.

John was the first to speak on a topic that loomed over head whenever Remus spoke of moving out.

"So, Remus... On the full moon-"

"I'd like to come back here if you'd have me. It's safer than staying in town." John nodded in agreement.

"And when do you plan on leaving?" John asked, looking over at a calender they had quickly.

"Well. I will go buy some good muggle clothing tomorrow. And probably put in some applications. I am going to have Dumbledore write me the letter he offered, if he still will... He knows muggles well enough he should be able to make one that won't draw any suspicions." That was more than anyone could say for most wizards. "I will move out once I am sure the job is permanent." he said. "I am going to go back to my old Hogwarts excuses for my absences. I know I am supposed to have a certain number of days off a month or something... So I will use that to my advantage. No one has to know." He said. Those pathetically transparent excuses had worked for seven years. He figured if he could keep it up for seven years in a school where everyone knew about werewolves, he could keep it up at least that long in a world where such things were fairy tales.

They finished eating. John was uneasy about his son moving out, but knew it would have to happen eventually. He trusted Remus' judgment. Even as a child Remus was forced to make hard choices, even if his parents wanted to help. He had always done so with more maturity than most children could muster. Roselin was sad he was moving out, but in a motherly way. She wanted to see her son grow up, but also wanted him to stay her baby.

Remus and his father played a game of chess, explaining the charms that made the pieces move and give advice. She didn't completely understand, she never did. But she smiled none-the-less. It was all amazing to her, no matter how long she lived with it.

After three games, two of which Remus won, they all headed to bed. Motty had already fallen asleep, bloated from eating the huge meal she'd been given, and was snoring lightly. Roselin thought it was cute. Remus went to his room and laid down, not removing his robes. He slept like that, on top of his covers. He often did. He liked his sleep and changing into the pajamas his mother bought him was far too much work. It wasted time he could use sleeping.

The next morning he wished he had at least spent some time to brush his teeth. He usually didn't forget, since his father had been one to scourgify his mouth clean if he did. He got up and scrubbed them thoroughly. No one else was awake yet, damn the sun. shining right in his window. He decided he might as well get a move on with his muggle business. He wrote a letter to Dumbledore, asking if he would write that letter. He sent it along to his owl warning it not to wake Dumbledore, but to wait until noon or so to bring it to him. He didn't want to disturb the man.

He went down stairs where Motty had already made breakfast. He sat down and she served him, smiling the whole time. "I remember when I met my first house elf." Motty looked up. "My mother's reaction pales in comparison to what mine was. I screamed. Which year was that... It had to be sixth year. I was asleep and Sirius and James carried me to the kitchens of Hogwarts.. When I woke up there were three or four crouched around me. I screamed, sat up, and knocked myself out on the table I was under." He said, smiling. Motty realized he wasn't being mean, so she smiled at bit as well. It was a funny story. "James and Sirius were my two best friends." He added, knowing Motty didn't know them. "They were mischief makers too. Always getting in trouble. Always getting me in trouble."

"Don't talk like that Remus, you did your fair share of mischief." came his father's voice. Remus waved a bit as his dad sat down. "I got letters from all the teachers about the things you did." he said. He had been very disapproving at the time, but now they were just stories, no reason to be angry about then. "Some of them were actually quite clever." John said.

"Yeah well. I studied a lot out of class to learn the things I needed for those pranks. It was why I received good marks." he said. He had helped. He would admit that, but he had never done any that would hurt anyone. Sirius and James were more like bullies. He hadn't approved of how James and Sirius treated Severus... He'd never been ballsy enough to do anything about it though. Sometimes, if he got a chance, he would try to clean up the mess the two had made.

Remus finished his food and stood. "Alright. I am going to head for Diagon Ally and then to muggle London." he said. His father nodded, informing Remus that it was his day off and he would still be here when Remus returned.

"Also. Wait. Let me empty my bag." he said. He got the flowered back he used and took out a ton of stuff. Books, a chair, some files from work and some spare robes that looked like they needed patching. "You know the drill, don't spill anything on it. It will hold as much as you need it to. Don't transfigure it." It was the regular drill.

"Thanks." Remus responded, taking the feather light bag. He wondered how hard it would be to make one of these for himself. He would have to look into that. At least the near weightless part. It was useful.

He walked to the apparating point and went to Diagon Alley. He withdrew and exchanged two hundred galleons. He came out with a thousand pounds. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad yet. Still, he pocketed it. Twenty minutes later he was wandering about muggle London, lost.

He didn't stay lost very long though. He found himself near a school and all around where signs saying a 'free store' was being held at the football field. He smiled. Free always sounded good.

He walked around the back of the school and looked around. He realized he must look odd, he had not taken off his long robes. Fortunately, they were plain black. Looking around the crowd, he might be able to get away with it. He would just tell people it was a style from up north and no one should question him.

He walked down the field, there were rows and rows of shirts and pants. He found some decent ones too. He found a few that buttoned up. Remus was tall and thin, so he didn't have to worry too much when picking sizes. He grabbed a few that he figured would fit more tightly to his body, then a couple huge ones, which seemed like they would be comfortable for just wearing. He stuck to simple colors, dark red, black, a single white shirt and a few dark blues. He figured these could be worn with the black pants that were in abundance here. He found tons of pants. He knew his hips were thirty two inches, from when he had bought a pair of robes under a year ago. His waist was smaller, he knew, but waist measurements weren't important in men's robes.

He ended up with three pairs of black slacks, he figured they looked clean and cut enough for working in, and three pairs of jeans. The jeans were oddly shaped and he was sure they were for girls, with how the bottoms were slightly wider than near the knees. He hadn't been able to find any other kinds though. He walked up front to the people that were in charge. He didn't know if he should tell them he was taking them or just walk off. It seemed odd that they were just free.

"Are you done, mister?" Asked a girl whose makeup was way too thick.

"Uh, yeah." Remus said.

"Alright. All you have to do is sign this sheet and the items are yours. We are keeping track of who gets stuff, if we show we've helped enough people we can start up more of these around the country." Remus nodded,

"I don't have a" he paused. "anything to write with."

She handed him a pen and he wrote his name down, nodding. "Thank you. Is there anywhere I could change clothing?" he asked.

The girl nodded "Yeah. We have some dressing rooms. You can use one of those."

Remus thanked her and went to them. Inside he stripped his robes off and pulled on a pair of blue jeans and a black button up. He looked at himself in the mirror there. The pants clung to his thighs oddly. He decided he preferred robes over jeans. Any muggle would have said they looked good on him The black shirt was incredibly long, so he tucked it in. He ended up putting a red one on. It was smaller. The black one had been too loose and made strange bunched areas when tucked in. This worked. He walked out of the dressing room after folding everything else into the bag. It held it, easily.

He started back down the street. Prepared to get lost again. "Alright. I have muggle clothing. I should probably start looking for places to put an application in." he mumbled to himself. He kept tripping on the wider openings of his jeans. They weren't huge, but just wide enough to get caught under his feet. He sighed, today was going to be a long day. Maybe he should take a bus. He was so preoccupied with trying to find his way, he didn't notice the black dog hiding in the shadows, following him.


	4. Sirius Rising

Sirius panted with the effort it took to follow Remus. His body was tired, but he couldn't stop. He had to leave for Remus' house. He had followed the man for quite some time. Remus was actually having an interview with a muggle. Sirius walked down an alley way and turned back to himself. Soon he had apparated just outside the Lupins' barrier. He prayed that the news of his escape, only twelve hours earlier, hadn't been discovered.

He had hardly escaped. The last week he'd spent as a dog, trying to convince the Dementors he was insane. No sane humans came by, save the one that visited every two months to make sure the Dementors didn't just allow dead bodies to rot in their cells. Which they sometimes did. He had timed his escape with this. The man had come by and done his quick check a week and a half ago.

Sirius had apparated in wooded area, there was no path here, but he knew the woods. He often was here with Remus on the full moon, up until his arrest anyways. He stepped up to the thin line of dead plants that indicated where the barrier stopped. Slowly, in his dog form, he stepped through. He sighed. Had the news gotten out that he was free they probably would have blocked him out, but they hadn't change their shields yet. He knew that Remus' mother and father were still in the dark about Sirius being an animagus. Remus wouldn't have told them, he didn't think. He wondered if he could find some left over food from them. Roselin always cooked way too much and they sat it out so that it wouldn't go to waste.

He found a sandwich and a few other things that they had thrown away, probably from lunch, it was all still fresh. Had this been a year ago, Sirius would have told anyone that he would never stoop to eating throw aways. But now they were heavenly. He had filled up and ran off into the woods, staying inside the barrier. He felt just a bit better, having something to eat.

The rest of Sirius' day was uneventful. He slept, mostly. Though he was a wanted fugitive, he felt safe on the Lupins' property. It was familiar. The air around him was warm and the sun was shining. Now he knew why Lupin loved the sun. After so long away from it, it was positively magical.

So deep in sleep was Sirius he didn't notice when Remus came home, even though he was facing the house.

Remus came home with a smile on his face. His first muggle interview had gone smashingly. They had tested him out for four hours, seeing if he was right for the job. They said he could have it if he could come up with two letters of recommendation. It was a formality. The store was a large chain store that spanned all of Europe. The hiring manager there was a bit lax, but had to have the letters on file. Remus met his mother, hugged her. His father got one too. He was ecstatic.

"I understand it went well, dear?" Roselin asked. Remus nodded.

'The muggles were more than happy to give me a job. They let me work for four hours today. I have to give them two letters of recommendation for the file, but the job is mine." He said.

"Well, this came for you." John said, handing a letter to Remus. He opened it.

It was obviously from Dumbledore. It was thick too. He found inside four pages, regular paper rather than scrolls. He was thankful for that. He found a letter from Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick. Dumbledore's was two pages long, it was very gracious. McGonagall and Flitwick had both liked him as a student, McGonagall has been short and to the point, Flitwick had used a variety of adjectives. The letters read as though McGonagall and Flitwick were his highschool teachers, at the private school the fake diploma said to be from, and Dumbledore wrote his as the leader of the Order, or as the letter stated, a previous employer. He looked in the envelope, which was still rather heavy, and found another piece of paper folded separately from the others.

As he opened it, a quizzical look came over his face. He read through it. It was talking about some guy named Damocles at first. For a moment Remus was sure the letter was meant for someone else. He got to the second paragraph though and smiled.

He didn't speak, but turned the letter over and wrote back to Dumbledore. The letter had been pertaining to a potion that was being made for werewolves. It was still being worked on and Dumbledore had asked if Remus wanted to test it. Remus had been more than happy to accept. The letter vaguely indicated that Dumbledore knew the man, or at least his work, and was sure it was as safe as a potion could get.

"What was that about?" Roselin asked.

"There is a new potion out there that they think will cure Lycanthropy." he said. That was what he had gathered from the letter anyways. "Dumbledore says he can get me in on the test group."

"That doesn't sound very safe...." Roselin said. She was wary about potions since the time John had melted through the floor with a failed sleeping potion.

"Dumbledore sounds confident. I wrote him asking if I could have more information. I'm going to do it." he said. Though he was excited his voice stayed calm and level. He wasn't the type of person who got overwhelmed. It had always been a useful characteristic. He knew very well the potion could fall through as so many cures did. But if Dumbledore had faith in it... "Let me go mail this." he said, heading to his room.

He reread his letter, then decided it was inadequate. He took out some parchment and rewrote it. He thanked everyone for the letters, then stated he would like to be in on the potion testing. He threw in a question as to what the potion's intended purpose was. He was hoping for a cure... but he would be happy if it was just a strong potion to knock him out during the night of the full moon.

He sent his owl out, stroking it's feathers lovingly before it took off. Remus washed his face before going back down stairs.

When he got there he saw a sight that almost knocked him off his feet. His father was in the living room taking a nap, the man deserved it. It was what he saw out the window that shook him. He sprinted out the door. "Mother get away from him!"

His mother was bent over, rubbing a large bear-like dog on the stomach. The dog was gaunt but looked happy.

"But he is so frien-" she started before he knocked his mom away from the dog, pointing his wand at it. There was a blue and white flash and a pale, thin, dirty Sirius Black laid where the dog had been.

Remus' mother had been angry, but screamed and went back into the house upon seeing Sirius, she'd been told about what he'd done.

"Remus. Good to see ya."

"You're supposed to be in Azkaban, Black!" Remus said. His face was contorted in anger. Black was the man he believed had killed three of his friends. John Lupin tried to run out after him, but Remus had created a shield around them. His father was a wizard, and capable, but he wasn't a duelist. John was better at practical things. Remus was stronger, faster and better at offensive and defensive magic than his father.

"Just. Give me a chance to explain." Sirius said, looking up at Remus. He remained laying with his arms spread straight out, his legs apart, as though making a snow angel. It was almost as though he had planned this. As he laid, Sirius was no threat.

"Why should I? Do you know how many people wit-"

"I gave you a chance!" Sirius replied, his voice strong. "When we were at Hogwarts I gave you a chance. Remember? James would have given me a chance!"

Remus flinched. "You were their secret keeper." he said, kneeling to the ground, but not lowering his wand.

"No. It wasn't me." Sirius said. I'd made Peter the secret keeper. I was too obvious, my family had ties to the Dark Lord already. I was a poor choice. They could have gotten me so easily. And I never would have betrayed them." He said, a hint of desperation in his voice.

Remus flinched again. Years of being close friends with Sirius told him that Sirius wasn't lying. He looked at him, lowering his wand just a smidgen. He was still suspicious.

"Sirius, you have to understand that I can't tr-"

An eerie calm had set into Sirius. "I want you to write Dumbledore. As you know. I am shit at Occlumency. Dumbledore can prove my innocence." He said.

It was true, in school James had tried to learn Legilimency. He had managed to read Sirius' mind. Remus attributed it to Sirius' open nature to Remus and James. During their time with the order Dumbledore had often shown concerns about Sirius. Sirius had always promised to die before letting his mind be invaded. Fortunately, it had never come to that. Peter had apparently been giving enough information to the Dark Lord that he felt no need to invade the minds of the other Order members.

"Fine. But, until then..." Sirius looked up at Remus, wondering what he was suggesting. "Stand. You're going into our cellar."

Sirius looked a bit hurt that he wasn't trusted, but stood, keeping his hands up. Remus lead him inside, past his father and to the cellar. He locked it. Sirius looked through the small square section of bars at Remus.

"Thank you, my friend." Sirius said. He didn't like being untrusted, but at least he hadn't been arrested by ministry members.

Remus couldn't look at Sirius. "Father. I need to use your owl." his dad nodded. He'd heard their conversation through the shield and was going to trust his son on this. He didn't like the idea of harboring a fugitive.

Remus wrote the letter saying that Sirius was at his home and was requesting Dumbledore prove his innocence. Thinking back, Remus remembered that Dumbledore had suggested Sirius might be innocent. Sirius had been arrested and was locked away, so he couldn't have known of Dumbledore's idea.

"Take this directly to Dumbledore at Hogwarts." he said. The owl was a small speedy thing. It would probably get there before his own did.

It took twenty minutes, during which Remus' mother made a sandwich for Sirius, being the kind soul she was. Sirius refused it, stating he'd eaten earlier and would die if he ate any more. Sirius sat at the bottom of the steps in silence most the time.

Those twenty minutes seemed like hours for all involved. Dumbledore knocked on their door though. There was no way he could have walked from the apparition point. Knowing how powerful he was, he had probably just apparated directly in front of their door. Remus answered.

"Good Afternoon Remus. And Roselin, you are looking well." Dumbledore said, as though they were meeting for an evening of tea and cakes. "Is John around?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly. John came from the living room and waved lightly.

"I heard that you are harboring a fugitive." he said, walking to the cellar and opening the door. The door only opened from the outside. It was plenty strong, as It had been designed to hold Remus. Sirius stayed at the bottom of the steps, Dumbledore closed the door after him, locking himself in. It was more an indication that the others weren't to enter.

Another twenty minutes passed. Remus was tempted to try to listen to their whispering but didn't. He sat at the table with his head on his arms, a headache starting up. They heard the door creaking and saw Sirius, followed closely by Dumbledore.

"Hm, My earlier opinions on Sirius' guilt were correct. I gave him veritaserum, combined with the legilimency I used have proven him innocent. Neither will hold up in a trial though. I will have to ponder this. If you will have him, he will be kept in your care while here."

Remus' dad nodded numbly. Sirius was innocent? All three of them had liked Sirius. Remus' father had had some concerns with the Black family's reputation, but he had gotten over it quickly after meeting him. Dumbledore held up a note. "I will pass your message on to Minerva and Fillius, as well as Damocles. He will be pleased that someone is willing to help. Have a nice evening. I must be getting back to Hogwarts, I have some issues I must attend to." He said, smiling and leaving.

Things couldn't have been more tense. Sirius stood there pale, gaunt and dirty. The Lupins were staring at him, in near disbelief. Finally Remus stepped forward and gave Sirius a firm hug. He couldn't help it. Six months of believing all his friends had left him had been hell. Now that he had one of them back he couldn't manage much else. No words came to mind. It was a spectacular moment for the both of them


	5. Morning After

Sirius stood there a while, letting Remus hug him and leaning on the lanky werewolf more than he would have liked. Remus caught onto this and looked at him. "I'm tired." Sirius admitted.

Remus smiled a bit and spun him around. "Let's get you to bed." he said.

"Make him take a bath first." Roselin called as her son started up the stairs with the thinner man.

"I will mom." He called back, they'd reached the top landing. He dropped Sirius off in the bathroom, turning the water on to fill the tub. "Alright, you can take a bath, if you need me I will be right outside the door. After you get clean... I'll have to get you some clothing." He said. "Yell if you need anything." he left with that, smiling at Sirius. He went for some of his clothing. Sirius was shorter than Remus. Before the stint at Azkaban, Sirius had been broader and more muscular then Remus, unable to wear his clothing. Remus was now the broader, which was saying a lot. He picked a sleeveless shirt and some sleep pants he'd only ever worn once. He even found of pair of boxers that his mother had bought him, they'd turned out to be too small. It was his sincere hope that Sirius would gain the weight back quickly and look like himself again.

Remus opened the door a few inches, just enough to magic the clothing into the bathroom. He made them get on the shelf before closing the door. He was giving Sirius as much privacy as possible. From the sound of it, Sirius was bathing enthusiastically. The bathroom was hot and he could hear the water moving violently. He figured Sirius was trying to get his hair clean. Remus wondered if it would be salvageable. Remus had noted it to be filthy and matted.

Remus remembered the first time he saw Sirius was his hair. Sirius hated showers, preferring to soak in hot water as long as possible. Remus and Sirius has snuck into the the prefects' bathroom after some particularly tiring exams and Sirius had ducked his head underwater and violently scrubbed his head. Remus has been sure Sirius was trying to drown himself or something. Remus leaned against the door a long while, thinking about Sirius, James and Lily. Peter had always just followed them, so he had less of a presence than the others had.

"Sirius, it's been an hour and a half, are you alright?" he asked, cracking the door.

"It's fine." Sirius replied. "I'm dressed."

Remus opened the door and stepped in. Sirius looked almost pathetic. He was so small it wasn't funny. Remus noted the black locks on the ground. Sirius had decided his hair was just going to have to grow. Again.

"You always were shit with scissors" Remus said, taking them from his friend. He combed the hair, moving the tangles as low as he could. He worked quickly, knowing Sirius wouldn't want to stand very long. He ended up only taking two or three inches off. "There. Now I won't have you listen to you complain about being bald when you recover." He said, teasing. Sirius had once had his hair hexed off and had tried using sticking charms to put it back on. He hadn't realized Madam Pomfrey could just regrow it. It had been just short of a disaster.

"Let's get you to bed." Remus said lightly, walking him to the guest room. It was always set up incase there was a surprise guest. He turned the covers down and let Sirius lay down. He recovered him after getting him comfortable.

"You know, I can do some things for myself." Sirius chuckled, secretly grateful for every thing he didn't have to do. Remus sat on the floor, leaning his back against the bed. "Thanks." Sirius said.

"It smells like my mom is making stew. I'll bring you some up."

"You know Roselin doesn't like it when we eat in bed."

"I think she will break the rules just this once." Remus chuckled. Things were tense. They both could feel it. They sat there quite a while until John appeared in the door. He waved to Remus, who stood and moved to the door.

"Food's done. Your mother said you can bring him some up when he wakes." Remus nodded, then looked back. Remus hadn't realized Sirius was asleep. He smiled a bit.

They went downstairs and ate. Remus filled a deep bowl with some of the hearty stew and went back up stairs, looking at his mother. Just to make sure she was alright with it. If she wasn't, he would never hear the end of it.

Sirius was half awake when Remus returned. Remus sat on the side of the bed, setting the bowl on the table. He helped sit Sirius up.

"I knew I wasn't dreaming. You can't dream about your friends in Azkaban." Sirius said, a smile on his face.

"I brought you some stew." Remus said, Setting it on top of the chocolate colored blankets in his lap. He handed him a spoon.

"I can't, Remus, you'll have to feed it to me." Sirius said, laughing and digging in

"How are you feeling?" Remus asked.

Sirius smiled at him. "I've never been happier. I mean it. Nothing has been able to get me down since I left that horrible place." He said. He remembered when he had left, the first thing that happened was a near euphoric sensation that had almost convinced him to just lay there. The ability to feel happy came back to him and with it every happy memory he'd ever had. He had almost laid there and basked in it. Such an action would have gotten him caught and had be been any weaker a man, he might be dead or worse by now.

Remus wondered if that was healthy, but didn't question it. It was just good to see Sirius again. Sirius finished the stew and sat the bowl down. Remus was doing all he could to find a topic to talk about.

"Remus, as glad as I am to see you, do you think I could be allowed some more sleep?" Sirius asked. Remus was glad there the other was tired, since the tense atmosphere left no room for air.

"Yeah. If you need anything holler or hit the wall. I'll be right in my room." he said. He felt like laying down himself. Their beds were both against the same wall.

Remus fell asleep. The day hadn't been physically exhausting, but it had been an emotional rollercoaster.

Sirius woke up halfway through the night. His sleeping schedule as of late had not been very regular and, as he had no nightmare, he attributed it to that.

He laid there a while, in the dark, just stroking his own hair. It hadn't felt so clean in months. He had tried very hard to not think about the kind of disgusting things he'd been covered in at Azkaban. As a sealed facility, there was no mud or dirt to be covered in. They cleaned the cells four times a year, but that didn't help. Three months was a long time between cleanings. He shuddered and rolled over slowly, hoping to fall back asleep so he wouldn't have to think about it.

He eventually did fall asleep, sinking into dreams about the very thing he'd fallen asleep to not think about.

Remus got up the next morning convinced yesterday hadn't happened. There was no way he'd gotten a job, no way Sirius was back and innocent. No cure was being devised for lycanthropy... It was all just a strangely detailed, very nice dream. Of course it wasn't. He dressed and headed down stairs. He could have sworn, as he tugged at the collar of his shirt, he heard Sirius' rich laugh. It took all his sleepy brain had to not look surprised when he saw Sirius there.

"Mornin'" he said, looking at Remus. "Your mother was just reminding me of some of the stupid things I didn't remember doing." he said.

"Hm? Like what?" Remus asked, sitting down with a newspaper and serving himself from the platters in the middle of the table.

"Remember that time we pranked Olea Greenburg?" he asked.

"No?" Remus said. Honestly they had done so many pranks and tricks on people that he didn't remember most of them, just a few spectacular ones.

"Well your mother has the note McGonnigal wrote about us." He said, picking up a neatly folded piece of parchment, "Blah blah blah Your son has been given two weeks detention for charming a helium balloon to float one of the students, an Olea Greenburg from Hufflepuff. She ended up stuck in a tree for three days because no one knew what helium was. Blah blah blah."

"Oh. I remember that." Remus said, chuckling. He had been trying to convince James and Sirius that wizards knew nothing about muggle things. He had done a number of pranks involving muggle science. Albus Dumbledore had been away for that particular incident.

"Yeah. I know. I was trying to figure out how I forgot it." Sirius replied, digging into the food some more.

"Me either. I got fifty galleons from each of you for that." he said.

"I still maintain that Mr. Moony cheated." Sirius chuckled. This made Remus laugh.

They sat in silence a few minutes. "I have to leave soon... I want to stay... but I am sure my mom won't mind you staying here." Remus said.

"You got a job? Good. I am glad. I had wondered about that during my stint." he said, though he had followed Remus and already knew.. Remus wanted to hit Sirius for worrying about him at such a time, but didn't. He would get around to that eventually.

"Mhmm. I will be working in muggle London. I will probably be getting my own place there."

"You're going to live as a muggle?"

"Oh, Gods no. I couldn't if I wanted to. I just was having trouble getting a job in the wizarding world. The muggles don't believe in werewolves. I will just use some excuses and ask for my days off well in advance. No one will be the wiser. And I will come back here for transformations." He explained. Sirius nodded.

"So, when are you leaving?" Sirius asked, looking at the clock.

"Soon. Probably in an hour and a half. I plan on apparating behind the building. I checked, no one goes back there." he said.

"Hm, well. You'll have to tell me how it goes. I am stuck here until Dumbledore convinces the ministry I am innocent." Sirius said.

"He's doing that?"

"Yeah, He told me he had enough evidence to prove it. I don't know how, but he was confident of it. I trust Dumbledore."

"I do too. Well. I'd better get ready. You'll be alright here?"

"Of course. Believe me. This property is huge. Besides, it will be nice to catch up with your parents and... I saw you got a house elf?"

"For my mother. I didn't want to move out and leave all the work for her." Remus said. Sirius nodded.

Remus stood and went to his bedroom, pulling on a red button up shirt and dress pants. The chain he had just been hired for had no real dress code, they just had to look nice. Remus found a vest he hadn't used it years. It was nice though. The black matched his pants in pitch. He pulled it on, twisting a bit to try to get it comfortable. He checked himself in the mirror, his reflection telling him he should gel his hair. His reflection gave him the worst advice. He combed his hair and got rid of the small amount of stubble on his chin before heading back down. He was running a bit late.

"I'll walk you to the apparition point." Sirius offered.

"Are you sure? You could hardly stand last night."

"I'll go as Padfoot... Takes less energy. Plus... I feel pretty good after that meal." he said. Sirius really wanted to stretch his legs.

"Alright." Remus said, he slid his wand down his pocket, "Hm. You know how naked I feel without my wand in hand...." he frowned. "It doesn't fit in muggle pockets." He said, noticing he was running late.

"Magic it to your thigh... I had to do that once." he said. It was a strange feeling having a long thin piece of magic wood against your leg... but it kept it nicely on hand. Remus did just that and as he was putting it in his pants his mother walked in.

"Remus!" She said, turning away.

"It's nothing mother. I was just hiding my wand."

"Well you don't have to do it in the kitchen... Now move along, you're going to be late."she said. Sirius was laughing heavily and could hardly follow Remus.

"I needed that" Sirius chuckled as he wiped some tears from his eyes.

Remus walked with him, rather briskly. "Drat. I forgot my letters of recommendation." he turned back towards the house. He held his hand out and concentrated. He was actually very good at both wandless and nonverbal magic for someone as young as he was. The letters came zooming out the house and landed about three feet from him.

"If you can do magic without a wand, why'd you insist on bringing it?" Sirius asked.

"I am still working on the wandless thing." Remus said as he walked to pick up the letters. Fortunately they had landed in clean grass and were not smudged.

"Well. Good luck with that." Sirius said. Sirius kind of wished he had practiced magic without a wand. Very few people ever bothered to learn it, but right now he had no wand at all. He hoped to get another one some time soon.

They reached the barrier. "Well, this is where I leave you, Remus." Sirius said. "Dumbledore told me not to leave the barriers here. He reinforced them against ministry members... I'd rather come with you." he stretched. "It won't be for long, right?" he asked, looking just ever so slightly uncertain.

"Dumbledore will get you off." he said, hugging Sirius quickly.

When they separated, Remus disapparated.

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**I am going to only do author's notes on every fifth chapter, or when I need the opinions of you all. I am trying to update regularily. Fortunately, from this point on all the exposition is done. YAY. Now we can get on with the story. Anyways, Read and Review. I would love to hear ideas for things that can happen later. **


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